WGP2 Season 2 [RP Thread]

[Lisander]

"I can't understand, Lemos, why are you taking off the DANZAS vinyls of the spoiler?" - Darius was not understanding why his teammate was sitting on the floor, ripping the vynils out of the back spoiler of his car.

"Was I ready to say that to you? I don't know. But I'll need to say it anyway. Thanks for bringing us a new sponsor." Lemos picked up another sticker on the floor and showed it to his teammate. DHMO would be a sponsor of Superia Juniors for that race. Lemos finished the right side and after cleaning the spoiler with alcohol, he slipped the sticker into place. "That's it. Fitted perfectly. They also sent a cooler filled with water and energy drink."

"Born and raised drinking this brand of water, and they make me this kind of surprise! They should have warned me, I would have asked something else. Maybe a driver suit, or some caps."

"To me, they haven't sent anything. For your luck, they also sent the driver suit and more stuff. Look at your sofa. It's filled with things you like. Even your new love came."

"Love? What are you talking about? There is no one there."

"You spoiled the surprise, Lemos!" - a familiar female voice spoke right behind Darius. There were she, wearing a driver suit. The new DHMO contracted Rider, Athena Haines.

[Vangaziland]

Jess Franssen and Edgar Halvorsen were kicking around the paddock. Qualifying was set to start any minute now. The cars were parked outside on the lane. The drivers were milling about nearby, but hadn't entered their cars yet. Both staff members hoped for a strong qualifying session. It had been a long season and it was almost over.

Ed came over from Vannish Motors corporate to learn more about motorsports. He was the Chief Product Officer for Vannish Motors' sports car line. His personality clashed with Jess and others from the start. Edgar finally realized that he had to watch his words. After doing a few nice things for the VMR staff, Ed finally started winning people over.

Even Jess didn't hate him at this point. The two even worked together on a recent recruitment. The event helped bring them closer. It was almost all the pair could talk about. "We heard back from TMW", Jess said as she stood in the paddock's doorway. The pair were looking out at Revinka's circuit.

"What did they say?" Ed piped up as he looked over from his side of the paddock. He was really interested in this new potential merger.

"They said they'd be into working with our car", Jess replied. "It could really help their driver feel as if our car is also theirs."

"We could definitely make the VMR experience more inclusive", said Edgar. "I think they can do good work with the suspension. Then if they enter their own car down the line, we'll have a relationship."

Jess laughed before she replied. "I'm not sure if the multiverse is ready to see a VMR car paired with another company."

"It actually won't be a bad marketing move", Edgar said as he ran a hand through his hair. "VMR somehow has a fanbase in their nation. I doubt the cross-branding will hurt Vannish interest. Only time will tell how big this can grow into."

"They should be able to come up with a talented driver." Jess thought of her email communiques while speaking. "They say maybe GRC isn't the way to go. We should reach out to the more professional clubs too."

"Yeah", Ed replied while thinking, "But there's something plucky about that group. Look at what drivers like Kai Qiang have done. Think about 'The Flying Fish'. That's a car with identity. That's just what Vannish Motors needs." Ed felt bad saying that since he was just a businessman. He decided to clarify. "At least from a promotional standpoint."

"We need to keep our winning pace. That's what's important." Jess looked out over Karli's brightly colored chassis. Here they were in Mattijana. Soon it would all be decided. They just had to make it through qualifying.

"Jannik has done well by us", Edgar said as he looked over to Markner's car. "I wouldn't be surprised if he has another solid run here."

"Krupin is a great driver as well", Jess said about her WGPC 16 co-driver. She knew selecting a driver for WGPC 17 wouldn't be easy, even if they had somebody new in mind. "VMR is always searching though. This move might really pay off in the future."

"The only thing is that we might miss out on some big names", Edgar replied. "Experience will play more and more of a role in the future."

"I doubt the big names want to race with me", Jess said. "Not for VMR. I'm sure they'd like me on their team. And that's the impass. So we need to find the next big mover and shaker." After thinking for a few moments to herself, she added, "I wouldn't mind running with MRT again sometime."

"Do you think we should have recruited from that other team?" Ed knew VMR was thinking of reaching out to a different nation's organization. This didn't count a third team, which they had already contacted. That particular nation was well known to all competitors on today's tarmac.

"Maybe. They have their own skills. That team would have loved to get their hands on a VMR chassis. They would have made good teammates."

"It was a hard choice", said Franssen. "Keep in mind, I was just the messenger. They used me for my name. I'm glad to help recruit a future teammate though."

Ed thought of another random fact that he wanted to discuss with Jess. "Did you hear that Prince Vang offered to sponsor a privateer team of theirs? Old Fritz sure likes to invest internationally."

Jess nodded and smiled as she thought of the prince. She met him before WGPC 16's Vannish Grand Prix. Contrary to Ed's description, he was fairly young. "Well, the Vannish licenses are taken. He'd have to finance an international team. It sounds like they have higher tier race clubs over there. He'll probably have to look elsewhere to get his foot into motorsports."

As the two continued the conversation, the interesting part would be that many of the other internationals might not even know of the nation the pair were speaking of. Many others knew perfectly well who was being discussed. The style of drivers from that country and Vangaziland may prove to mesh well for WGPC 17.

[Filindostan]

Revinka Street Circuit
Revinka, Mattijana

It was the final race of the WGP2 season, and the folks at the IGR garage would want their long season to end already. The TT01 chassis provided reliability to the car, lodging only one DNF in the season, but it was a largely uncompetitive car, having only two point scoring finishes - one each by the two drivers. Surprisingly, Tyra Tabuso brought IGR and Kissan's first ever win in international motorsport when she took the chequered flag at Insocima. Chiemi Hino then took fourth at Crossbay Circuit, but that was it - other finishes were all outside the points, some of them even not finishing in the lead lap.

It was a gloomy day then for the team, as they setup the garage for the last time this season. There was a miss in this season, and the cracks were beginning to show as the season progressed. It was the start of the demise of the team's technical partners, KISMO.

After the fourth race of the season, the car remained uncompetitive, and despite the efforts of the team to improve the efficiency of the chassis, the engines' development were stagnant - the engines they had for the final weekend had little to no improvement, and this was due to KISMO getting their funds dry out as car sales took a hit following a series of Sudden unintended acceleration incidents in their top of the line Kamikazes, causing multiple injuries, damage properties, and six deaths. This prompted the company headed by Tsutomu Sugiyama to cancel their participation to the current NSSCRA season with the Kamikaze.

Things did not improve, as a series of lawsuits caused the company to leak more money, which caused their investments in motorsports to become unsustainable. The planned WGP3 KISMO Series was cancelled, and KISMO sponsored drivers were at risk of not sustaining their fundings for their racing careers. The issues prompted KISMO to pull out of WGP3 Filindostan causing the IGR team to run without funding and technical support in that series.

The future of the WGPC team was also in doubt. They had to make a decision whether they will keep their entry for next season at the end of the WGP2 season. And the heads of KISMO had decided to setup a press conference at the track itself before the free practice session to make an announcement regarding their future.

[Mattijana]

Race Preview: Grand Prix tsa Istrija

Circuit Name: Revinka Street Circuit
Grand Prix Name: Grand Prix tsa Istrija
Track Image:
Lap Record (F1/WGPC Car): 2:04.213
Track Length (km): 6.35
Qualifying Type (Traditional or Two-Tiered): Two-Tiered
Chance of being a wet race (1%-20%): 5%
Overtaking difficulty (0.1 - 5. 0.1 is easy, 5 is difficult): 3.5
Margin for Error (0.1 - 5. 0.1 is forgiving, 5 is treacherous): 4

Aggressiveness (1-10): 3.5
Technical Difficulty (1-10): 6.5

The Revinka Street Circuit was first raced on around 40 years ago as open wheel racing spread across the country of Mattijana. A course was mapped out around the promenade, harbour and old town of Revinka as well as the hills and coast of the nearby district of Lubenice.

The start/finish straight is situated on the promenade road adjacent to the city's main beach and feeds into a fast right-hander that winds around the base of Revinka castle. That switches back into a slower left-hander that releases cars onto the edge of the harbour. A few 90° corners take the circuit around the harbour's edge to the end of sector 1.

Sector 2 is a scarier piece of track. A more open, but still winding coast road takes cars around the bottom of the hills along the coast to the suburb of Lubenice where a tight left-handed leads the cars steeply uphill into the centre of Lubenice through a double hairpin. Turn 13 once again opens the track up onto a more open section as some edge of the seat and undulating corners bring the circuit back down to sea level with the barriers a little too close for comfort.

The final sector is a more direct one. A fast left-hander at 21 leads into a short straight before the fast section from 22 to 24 featuring the right-hander at 23 that can just about be taken flat. The final couple of 90°turns flow back onto the promenade.

Julian Krkic enters turn 20 during the 1975 Mattijanan series race. The circuit has changed little since it was first used 40 years ago.

The first international race at the Revinka Street Circuit is on its way as the second ever WGP2 season comes to a thrilling climax on the Mattijanan south coast. With MRT2 choosing this year as a sighter and Ekatarina Julic well off the pace in the driver's championship, it is the circuit that raises more interest amongst the local audience.

Winding its way around the old streets of Revinka and the hills of its suburb, Lubenice, the entirely pubic road-based track is certainly one for racing purists. The barriers are tight, the course is twisty and yet despite this, it is pants-wettingly fast. The beachside location and usual sun add an additional touch of glamour, however thunderstorms later in the day can sometimes add some extra spice to an event.

Overtaking opportunities are slightly harder to come by compared to other circuits around the world and the country, including the Kopylov InternazionRing in the north of the country. Turn 24 represents the best and most conventional opportunity as it comes at the end of a long, fast section through Revinka's city centre. Turn 10 is a braver, but also plausible route, although a significant degree of bravery is needed to swoop past after a series of flowing corners and a blind braking zone. Turns 20, 22 and 4 have seen some more audacious moves, but these are fairly rare.

That said, overtaking is by no means the scariest part of a race at the circuit. Driving around the place unobstructed also has its hazards.

The two nastiest places on the 6.35 km loop are fairly distinguishable. Turns 1 and 2 are the first corners that are more than a little awkward to negotiate. Following a fairly long straight, drivers must find exactly the right point to dab on the breaks before slinging their car around a long right hander. Having done this, the challenge is to slow the car down enough to tackle the tighter turn two. This sounds bad enough without the added complication of there being very minimal run off to play with before a meeting with the Armco.

That sequence of turns pales in comparison to turns 13 to 15 however. These take place not on the flat of the seafront, but up on the winding hillside road between Lubenice and Revinka. The hills provide not a backdrop, but an additional challenge for the drivers as they rise up the hill through the flat-out kink at 13 before coming over the crest at the almost flat-out turn 14 and plummeting back downwards into the much sharper turn 15. This gives drivers the impression they are plummeting towards a cliff edge, not a pleasant feeling when trying to pick a braking point. There is slightly more runoff on the back of this one, but not enough to leave all but the most minor errors unpunished.

In fact those challenges do lead on to a bit of an elephant in the room for the Revinka Street Circuit: doubts over safety.

In the early days of the circuit's use, motorsport was inherently dangerous. Car and driver equipment technology was limited and with few purpose-built tracks across the country, the circuit was no different to many others. Accidents were fairly commonplace and unfortunately, so were serious injuries.
Perhaps more by luck than judgement given the circuit's nature, the Revinka Street Circuit managed to avoid too many serious incidents. As the rise of purpose-built circuits and the development of safer cars took hold however, the mild frequency of accidents at the track became less of an occupational hazard and more of a concern.
Threatened by closure, those in Revinka responsible for the circuit's management chose to add gravel runoff where possible to rapidly slow cars before a collision with the barriers. This was done mainly in the hillside section of the circuit where the most crashes took place whilst medical and stewardship facilities were also added around Lubenice to quickly deal with them. This did enough to satisfy the health and safety quotas, but questions remain amongst some in the sport as to whether the circuit has a role in the present day.

Amongst the public however, the circuit is well-loved. It is one of the few untamed beasts remaining in an increasingly sanitised and tarmac run-off laden environment and it is almost guaranteed that a huge number of people will line the streets to witness a historic moment for this historic circuit.

[Mattijana]

Cutoff for the final practice and qualifying sessions of the season. May Margaret favour the brave on the streets of Revinka.

[Mattijana]

Week 12: Practice

Conditions:      	Dry	
Lap Record:      	2:04.231	
Qualifying Type:	Two Tier	
Nation:         	MTJ	
Circuit:        	Revinka Street Circuit

POS # DRIVER                   TEAM                	FASTEST LAP	
 1 33 Karli Schmitt               Vannish Motors Racing       	00:02:18.018	00:00:00.000
 2 44 Laurencia Lynds             SinVal                      	00:02:18.019	00:00:00.001
 3 16 Janne Laukkanen             Nexus Racing                	00:02:18.037	00:00:00.019
 4 10 Erik DeForest               Pompeii Motorsports         	00:02:18.042	00:00:00.024
 5 12 Ade Imoju                   Omni-Katoa Racing           	00:02:18.043	00:00:00.025
 6  3 Darius Castellammare        Superia Junior Team         	00:02:18.054	00:00:00.036
 7 17 Max Prefodski               Kaylan Racing               	00:02:18.055	00:00:00.037 
 8 48 Tyra Tabuso                 Ibuna-Gambal Racing	        00:02:18.057	00:00:00.039
 9 23 Cocoabo #23                 VTM Tropicorp Engineering   	00:02:18.057	00:00:00.039
10 15 Rebecca Darlington          Nexus Racing                	00:02:18.062	00:00:00.044
11  5 Jason Masami                Brutus Obey Sport GP        	00:02:18.092	00:00:00.074
12 97 Edward Baker                VTM Tropicorp Engineering   	00:02:18.105	00:00:00.087
13  9 Jannik Markner              Vannish Motors Racing       	00:02:18.140	00:00:00.122
14  2 Juliano Lemos               Superia Junior Team         	00:02:18.141	00:00:00.124
15 63 Dahlia Dahl                 Pompeii Motorsports         	00:02:18.202	00:00:00.184
16 18 Isaia Fanene                Kaylan Racing               	00:02:18.257	00:00:00.240
17 24 Ekatarina Julic             Brutus Obey Sport GP        	00:02:18.308	00:00:00.290
18 75 Roman Arjenko               SVJ Racing                  	00:02:18.345	00:00:00.328
19 60 Chiemi Hino                 Ibuna-Gambal Racing         	00:02:18.400	00:00:00.382
20 25 Timo Jänkirinää             Omni-Katoa Racing           	00:02:18.453	00:00:00.435
21 19 Dom Falepeau                MRT2                        	00:02:18.973	00:00:00.955
22 37 Jama'obo Pegasii            SVJ Racing                  	00:02:19.082	00:00:01.064
23 14 Miguel Santos               EVolution Racing            	00:02:19.993	00:00:01.975

[Mattijana]

Week 12: Qualifying

Conditions:      	Dry	
Lap Record:      	2:04.231	
Qualifying Type:	Two Tier	
Nation:         	MTJ	
Circuit:        	Revinka Street Circuit

POS # DRIVER                   TEAM                	FASTEST LAP			
 1  2 Juliano Lemos               Superia Junior Team         	00:02:18.021	00:00:00.000	00:02:18.039	00:00:00.000
 2 37 Jama'obo Pegasii            SVJ Racing                  	00:02:18.022	00:00:00.001	00:02:18.058	00:00:00.019
 3  3 Darius Castellammare        Superia Junior Team         	00:02:18.025	00:00:00.005	00:02:18.163	00:00:00.123
 4 18 Isaia Fanene                Kaylan Racing               	00:02:18.027	00:00:00.007	00:02:19.690	00:00:01.651
 5 19 Dom Falepeau                MRT2                        	00:02:18.029	00:00:00.008	00:02:20.029	00:00:01.990
 6 24 Ekatarina Julic             Brutus Obey Sport GP        	00:02:18.037	00:00:00.016	00:02:21.414	00:00:03.375
 7 60 Chiemi Hino                 Ibuna-Gambal Racing         	00:02:18.092	00:00:00.071	00:02:25.104	00:00:07.065
 8  9 Jannik Markner              Vannish Motors Racing    	00:02:18.101	00:00:00.080	00:02:25.890	00:00:07.851
 9 10 Erik DeForest               Pompeii Motorsports         	00:02:18.114	00:00:00.094	00:02:27.011	00:00:08.972
10 23 Cocoabo #23                 VTM Tropicorp Engineering   	00:02:18.194	00:00:00.173	00:02:27.689	00:00:09.650
11 48 Tyra Tabuso                 Ibuna-Gambal Racing         	00:02:18.197	00:00:00.176		
12 33 Karli Schmitt               Vannish Motors Racing       	00:02:18.338	00:00:00.317		
13 97 Edward Baker                VTM Tropicorp Engineering   	00:02:18.372	00:00:00.352		
14 16 Janne Laukkanen             Nexus Racing                	00:02:18.380	00:00:00.359		
15 63 Dahlia Dahl                 Pompeii Motorsports         	00:02:18.424	00:00:00.404		
16 25 Timo Jänkirinää             Omni-Katoa Racing           	00:02:18.593	00:00:00.572		
17  5 Jason Masami                Brutus Obey Sport GP        	00:02:18.741	00:00:00.720		
18 75 Roman Arjenko               SVJ Racing                  	00:02:18.795	00:00:00.775		
19 15 Rebecca Darlington          Nexus Racing                	00:02:18.862	00:00:00.841		
20 17 Max Prefodski               Kaylan Racing               	00:02:19.302	00:00:01.281		
21 12 Ade Imoju                   Omni-Katoa Racing           	00:02:19.468	00:00:01.447		
22 14 Miguel Santos               EVolution Racing            	00:02:20.365	00:00:02.345		
23 44 Laurencia Lynds             SinVal                      	00:02:20.459	00:00:02.438

[Vilita and Turori]

:: Statistically Speaking: VTM in the 2nd WGP2 Season ::

Grand Prix tsa Istrija, Revinka Street Circuit, Mattijana :: With nine rounds of racing action down and just one to go, Vilita & Turori Motorsports Tropicorp Engineering and their drivers Cocoabo #23 of the Cocoabo Forest and Edward Baker of the Krainin Isles have a lot to be proud of putting up a number of good performances to showcase their talents as they search for a ride in the higher World Grand Prix Championship circuit for seasons to come. While both Cocoabo #23 and the team VTM Tropicorp Engineering had led the point standings in their respective categories - the Drivers Standings adn the Constructors Standings - for a portion of the season, the permutations required for either Cocoabo #23 or VTM Tropicorp Engineering to be crowned as a title winner after the race at the Revinka Street Circuit ad continuing to dwindle. Despite this there are a number of interesting takeaways from the second World Grand Prix 2 Season from a Vilita and Turori Perspective.

Cocoabo #23 :: VTM Tropicorp Engineering ::

It has been a fine season for Cocoabo #23 who has continued to impress as one of the top drivers in the World Grand Prix 2 competition just one season after finishing runner up in the drivers standings. The Cocoabo's two wins lead all drivers as they became the first 'local' driver to win a 'local' Grand Prix in the Vilitan Cove with Cocoabo #23 dominating the race weekend at the Cocoabo Preservation Grand Prix in the Cocoabo Forest on the very circuit where the Cocoabo had spent so many hours developing their driving skills as part of the Cocoabo Enrichment and Enhancement project's development of skilled Cocoabo in driving talents. In front of the home crowd, trainers, Cocoabo and an influx of Tourists staying at the Cocoabo Park resort, Cocoabo #23 was second fastest off the truck. Once the team made one tweak, however, that was it as the team continued to fine tune the vehicle and Cocoabo #23 would dominate the event winning pole position and then ultimately the race to send an early message to the WGP2 field.

Cocoabo #23 would win again three rounds later at the Grand Prix of Lisander East at the Alixring. While Cocoabo #23 simply had to defend their position at the Cocoabo Park Circuit, starting from the pole and finishing first, It was a much different story at the Alixring where Cocoabo #23 was quite literally the slowest car on the track off the truck. It was an exceptional example of teamwork where the Cocoabo crew learned from Edward Baker's speedy setup after the Krainin Isles driver had posted the 6th fastest time in practice. Whatever changes were made, Cocoabo #23 would overtake 18 drivers to make it to the top of the pylon and ultimately win the race, their second of the season.

Cocoabo #23 has by far the highest average finish of Vilita and Turori affiliated drivers at a solid 6.29 - nearly half that of the Cocoabo's average qualifying position of 13.0. Cocoabo #23 was the slowest car in practice on one occasion and practiced outside the top 10 in all but three WGP2 events. The data clearly suggests that Cocoabo #23 was having to balance adjusting to new tracks, Qualifying outside the Top 9 for every single race except the two events where Cocoabo #23 won the pole, the first being the Cocoabo Preservation Grand Prix and he second being the Nimban Euxieme Prix at the Crossbay Circuit. Cocoabo #23 has overtaken more cars on the track this season than any of their competitors improving an average of nearly 7 positions per event and having improved their finishing position when compared to their qualifying on 8 different occasions, the must stunning of which was at the Alixring in Lisander when Cocoabo #23 upgraded an 18th place qualifying run to a win, improving those 18 positions which would be best in the league until Jama'obo Pegasii's 20 spot performance at the WGP2 Challenge of Esmerel.

Edward Baker #97 :: VTM Tropicorp Engineering ::

The Krainin Isles driver who had been relatively media shy for much of the WGP2 season and has recently been garnering more attention as a possible return driver for future WGP2 Seasons. Unlike teammate Cocoabo #23 who only practices in the top 10 twice all season, Krainin was known for getting a little bit extra out of a vehicle when most thought there wasn't much to give. While the teams presumed number one driver Cocoabo #23 averaged being about the fourteenth fastest car in the practice sessions while Baker in the #97 machine was twice as good having topped the chart in Practice on two occasions and placing in the Top 10 of the practice session for eight consecutive weeks. Unfortunately things didn't often get better from there with only a single podium qualifying lap to their name and just two Top 10 starting positions.

Baker also experienced another curiosity posting in the 8th position for three consecutive sessions. Eights and Twos were differently a theme of Baker's WGP2 season but the late media push from Baker is certainly going to be seen in the Vilitan Cove as an attempt to garner late attention in Baker for their driving services as the Krainin Isles driver hopes to leverage the pair of podium second place finishes accrued during the WGP2 Race at Insocima at Bakers home town raceway, and the Nimban Deuxieme Prix at the Crossbay circuit in the Nimbus System. Baker has thus far earned points in just three of nine events but will look to finish in the Top 10 one more time to aid VTM Tropicorps' push to contend for the WGP2 series Constructors Championship.

[Main Nation Ministry]

Chapter 18: Countdown

After doing the practice and qualifying runs of one of the final circuits in WGP2, Jason Masami parked his car, so he can start to analyze how he can handle every obstacle that he is going to face for race day. As he was busy planning with some of the crew, the publisher returned with some news for Masami. "Masami? The Azerty comic is being released to the public and are going to be visible to those attending this circuit." the publisher said, where Masami scratched his head. "Alright, that sounds nice. You should try to have some of the other racers buy them. They need something to read every now and then." Masami suggested. As Masami was checking out the map of the circuit, a crew member was busy outside reading the latest issue of Azerty.

---

"So the alien-faced smugbags are at the "printers" holding it for ransom? The people need their food, though." Masami said, as both Azerty and Masami were in Masami's roadser, driving on 4 wheels across the landscape. The printers are people would call them were maintenance stations that produce food that can be printed to help satisfy the hungers of the starving population of D2. However, these printers were always raided, destroyed, or worst contaminated. The Bandit Trio saw it as an easy mark, since the sheriff was out of commission. "For all that we know, they can be making cheese in there for themselves!" Masami said, where Azerty motioned to have Masami's eyes on the road. In front of Masami's intended road to the printers was a large river full of tons of toxic waste and sludge. Getting out of the car, both of them can see the printers station across the river. "They must have taken out the bridge. They know people would follow them." Azerty stated. "Hang on, my car can float in any liquid! Get back in and watch this!" Masami said.

As both of them got back in the car, the wheels on Masami's roadster turned into the same properties of an inflatable raft. Masami drove the car over the river, where the printers awaited them.

[Lisander]

WGPC | WGP2 | NSSCRA | WGP3 ALPHA LEAGUE | OPEN GP NATIONAL SERIES | LISANDER GT | MOTORCYCLE RACING | LEGAL STREET RACING | + RACING | GIRLS | CONTACT US

---

Everything can happen, including nothing!
Grand Prix tsa Istrija, Revinka, Mattijana


We could not be more excited in the HQ of TURBO Magazine. Superia Juniors team, the ugly duckling of the competition, could bring to Lisander the drivers' championship, with Darius Castellammare. But now, they can bring even the constructors championship of WGP2 depending on the result of the Grand Prix tsa Istrija! The result of qualifying training at Revinka, Mattijana, was a surprise!

No one expected this pole position from Juliano Lemos. Without either Janne Laukkanen or Karli Schmitt in Q2, all the chips were staked on Darius Castellammare's pole for him to attempt the drivers' championship. Everything went wonderfully to Darius and Jama'obo Pegasi in the front row, when Lemos, in the last of his laps, lowers the time of Pegasi in 0.019 and takes the pole, in a perfect lap. This is the definitive proof that the Dreamboy technique remains sharp.

This pole position probably scared Lisander's Iceman. If Darius wants the title of drivers' championship, he will have to go up to the teammate with everything he has, after all, Superia Juniors is not known for playing the team game and calling for overtaking. In WGPC15, Lanza turned the radios off amid the Bitten Heroes—WET Motors crisis in Eelandii. Also, it does not make sense to ask this to the owner of the team and officially the first driver. For someone who has just had a few weeks of vacation after the Bitten Heroes disaster, Lemos already appears extremely strong among the top WGP2 pilots. Would he already have a place in WGPC again?

More importantly, this excellent result of lisanderian cars in the Qualifiers has opened up a new possibility, and Superia Junior strategists are expected to lose sleep this morning. Twenty-five plus fourteen add up to thirty-nine. Twenty-five plus eighteen add up to forty-three. The favourite scenario is Darius finishing first and champion of the drivers, with Lemos finishing second, and Superia Juniors going to 145 points. To be champions. Who was optimistic enough to think about it?

But for this, of course, Jannik Markner and Karli Schmitt, VMR drivers, cannot score more than sixteen points, and in particular, Schmitt cannot score more than five points. Let no one doubt that Vannish Motors drivers come, as the elders would say, "with fire in their eyes." Especially Karli, who already has a hand on the trophy and just need a Top 5 finish. The qualifier was not very good for them, but ahead of them, there are some riders who have not had a good season and can be theoretically left behind, like Erik DeForest, Ekaterina Julic and Chiemi Hino. Will these three will fight to defend their positions or will the engine of the "purple and red" roar higher?

There are many scenarios. Everything can happen, including nothing. We can leave tomorrow with five trophies (three of the Grand Prix and the two of the championship) or hands shaking. It will depend on Darius 'effort to reach first place, as well as Lemos' flair in this highly technical circuit. They both seem very focused. Darius has even more support in the Paddock this weekend. Athena Haines, daughter of TV5 commentator John Haines, appears to be a guest of the team. However, a possible relationship between the driver and the motorcyclist is a matter for gossip magazines and not for TURBO.

TV5 will broadcast Grand Prix tsa Istrija for Open TV, starting from 14:45 (local time). TV5 Sports 2 will have the complete event, since one hour before.

---

More from TURBO

NSSCRA: Mor Holstein comments her result in Lantis Sirenia 300
"Lantis Sirenia 300 failed to attract public", organizers say
Motorsports in the Olympics: After Holstein and Mikado, two more names are confirmed
Elections in LAB this sunday: If Superia Juniors wins in Revinka, the electoral victory for Lanza will be overwhelming

---

2018, All rights reserved. Turbo Magazine is a Website from Turbo Sports and Automobiles, LLC. For commercial contact, send a mail to turbomagazine[at]tsa-commerce.ls.

[Vangaziland]

Racing | Track Life | Off Grid | Fast Women

The Road To Contention

WGP2 II was a long ordeal for every driver. Karli Schmitt was no exception. Her season was a tale of ups and downs. She finds herself as one of the final drivers in the running to help win the driver and constructor championships. Even after a season of backbreaking work, she finds herself at a disadvantage going into the last race.

Schmitt's season started with a strong opening stretch. She earned two 5th place finishes, at Yarkovo International and Western Route. Races 2 and 4 were 3rd place finishes at Cocoabo Park and Insocima International respectively. Karli was in good form. Many hoped a win would fall soon. She needed a better finish to cement her place in end of season rankings.

Things would get worse before they got better. Schmitt's rough pace began during Race 5 at Alixring. She clipped a wall after late braking threw her line off. Her car had been entering a technical feature with little room to give at the airport's kink. She was able to stave off a DNF, but earned no points with a 12th place finish.

Crossbay Circuit would be even worse. This time Karli's late braking careened her into Jama'obo Pegasii for a DNF. Journalists around the multiverse began to question Karli's aggression. She was adamant in defending her style for the season. "It's not up to the media to tell drivers how to operate their cars", Schmitt said on the talk show 'Last Minute'.

The next race hit Forest Cross Raceway. Karli let off a lackluster finish. Perhaps her motivation had been impacted by the two previous results. Her results were not brought on by a lack of effort.

"If I don't win any silverware, it's not my fault", Schmitt told us in an exclusive interview. "I'm comfortable with the effort I put out this season. I also took a risk with my reliability by focusing on my aggression. I'm experimenting with my form. Right now I'm on the edge of winning it all. If we don't win, I know how to refine my style. If it works out, VMR can continue to add more aggressive styles to their lineup."

Karli finished 2nd at Derneo Quays Street Circuit in Nekoni. It was a strong result which put her into a more competitive spot. VTM's late season drop-off allowed Schmitt and Markner to begin making headway. Karli followed up with a win at the capital of the Vannish Empire. She led much of the WGP2 At North Emeros, giving her team a needed hometown victory.

"The fact that we had to rely on a win at Emeros shows things are already off plan", said Karli. Vannish Motors Racing has preached about consistency over an entire season, as opposed to relying on the home field crutch. "This was just the hand we were dealt. I've got one more race to make the most of it."

A qualification lap of 00:02:18.338 was only good enough for a 12th place start. Other rivals, including both Nexus cars and Fast Cocoabo, also have a mid-pack start at Revinka. Superia Juniors has two cars starting in the top 3. Adding to the drama is the treacherous nature of Revinka's circuit.

Passing may be more difficult. Tight spaces and dangerously close walls may turn the event into a race of attrition.

"There are so many different ways this can work out", Principal Jessica Franssen said in a conference. "We're glad to be contending. A lot of teams have put out a great effort this year. No matter what happens, one thing is clear. Vannish Motors Racing has had an impact on the international racing world. The quality of competition would not be this high if we did not set such a high standard time and time again."

"Regardless of what happens Sunday in Revinka", Jess continued. "VMR will fight just as hard during WGPC 17. Corsair plans to step things up in NSSCRA soon. Future race leagues are also on the drawing board."

The Constructor's Title may come down to one name. Jannik Markner. If Jannik can do something from 8th, he may prove to be a hero. He'll be hoping the effort that he did put in over the season will be enough to make an impact.

"My feeling about Jannik is that he could do so much more", said Franssen. "Markner could easily be one of these final racers looking for his own Driver's Championship. It's nice that he's helped get us this far. Here's advice to every driver in the multiverse. If you don't like your results, run harder. Don't quit. That means that just because you don't win one of the first 5 races, keep fighting on the track. It might take a season of running your rear off to get that good result. Be consistent in the meantime. During race week and the weekend. WGPO racing is not a grab bag of random victories."

Drivers could scoff at Jessica's advice if they'd like, but her results speak for themselves. Even Ade Imoju has had some success for Omni Katoa. His results have been quite similar to Jannik Markner's. He's done his part to also get the West-East Timorian team into Constructor's' title hopes. His motivation seemed surprisingly tied to that of Jannik Markner's, with Ade's effort seeming to match Jannik's.

Ade's teammate Timo Jänkirinää has ran similarly to Markner and Imoju. A bigger push from the red, yellow and white may have seen them heading into Mattijana with the lead. The collaboration of VMR and Omni Katoa seems to have led to both Timorian and Vannish drivers sitting in the top 4 spots. Everything can change based on the last race. It's still a great result for the Vannish.

WGPC 17 eligible driver Jang Xiaopeng took notice of this fact. "I hope people realize that signing a Vannish driver will be good for their Constructors' chances", said the driver. He's currently signed to Omni Katoa. Jang was one of the final drivers in contention to win the season 16 Drivers Championship. Some analysts expect him to be a free agent for season 17. He was expected to sign for Omni or VMR.

Vannish Motors is expected to bring a new nation's driver into the fold. Jang Xiaopeng may re-sign for Omni, but will likely listen to offers.

"I want to run with a team that will be active", Xiaopeng said.

The only thing certain about the season finale of WGP2 is that it will write a new chapter in international motorsports history. With all of the season's excitement, it's quite easy to forget that this is tier 2 racing. The competing teams all have something to prove. Omni Katoa wants to show they can win silverware and not play second fiddle. Nexus wants to show that, unlike WGPC 15, they can win a season against VMR. Superia Juniors wants to prove there is a relevance to Lisanderian motorsports. To that end, they already have after a strong mid to late stretch.

That leaves Vannish Motors and their hopes. VMR has won titles and has had success in enough disciplines to already be proven. What is left to gain? The team wants to win one more time. It's been a long dogfight over the past few months. Silverware would be seen as the fair result of time and money spent chasing a goal.

VMR was highly selective with their choice of Jannik Markner. They took a risk with Karli's style. It was just about time to find out if they gambled too high, or if their strategy was tuned just right.

---

Imperial Motorsports Magazine - pg 41 - Anthony Karlson

---

Click here to remove ads!

[Main Nation Ministry]

Chapter 19: It's On

Snake was currently tinkering with one of the machines inside the printers station, where he could have sworn he heard a noise coming from above. "I know someone is here." Snake warned, getting out one of his grenades. As he looked around the room, Azerty made an entrance by swinging down from a loose wire, kicking Snake directly in the face with a metal boot. Dropping his grenade and falling down, Snake attempt to reach towards the grenade he dropped, where Azerty simply kicked it away, before doing a large stomp directly on top of Snake's head.

Meanwhile, Spritzer was adjusting one of the delivery trucks that the trio scavenged from the wasteland to convert it into a mobile fortress. As he was busy on a creeper, as some oil was starting to drip out from underneath. Hearing that someone was near, Spritzer moved the creeper from under the truck to see the upside-down face of Masami, staring down at him with a gun to his face. "Oh great. Another soldier boy. You do realize that you're lucky to come here, while our guard is down!" Spritzer taunted Masami, where he pulled back the safety pin. "Where's Ping? I'm just here to get the printers back on operation. People are starving to death, so you're taking advantage of it."

"Well, I'm not getting myself in a firing squad!" Spritzer immediately grabbed Masami's gun, where he tried to fire a bullet, but it ended up hitting the wall. Spritzer punched Masami, where the two started to wrestle for the gun. It wasn't until a plasma blast gotten rid of Spritzer's upper body, as half of him was reduced to a skeleton. Masami immediately looked to see Ping has accidentally missed. "Azerty send you!?" Ping yelled, as he loaded in another plasma cartridge. "Just leave the joint! We just want the printers back on!" Masami declared, until Ping tried to fire another plasma shot, where Masami dodged, leading him to enter an open pipe for cover. Azerty immediately busted into the garage to open fire at Ping, but the latter had started to flee through a door, deeper into the printer station.

"Let me get this over with, Ping." Azerty said, drawing his gun. Ping has retreated to a waste management sector of the printers, where he was backed up against several pipes, his blaster pointed directly at Azerty. "I should have destroyed this place the moment I arrived! Soon, the people will starve eventually! You think because you appealing to humanity will make you a better entity?" Ping said, mocking Azerty. Suddenly, from above, Masami has crawled through the pipes and ended up accidentally breaking one of them, due to how old and rusty they were. Masami fell near Azerty and Ping, where Azerty took the distraction as an advantage to shoot Ping. The resulting shot blew Ping's jaw off, leaving green blood oozing from his face. His red and blue glasses only made him look like a techno-zombie. "We warned you. Now leave." Azerty said, grabbing Ping's blaster while Ping ran off, clutching his face.

"You do realize he is going to die eventually, right?" Masami said to Azerty, as they headed to the main control room. "Hang on, let me uplink the power back on." Azerty pulled out a special thin-rod like contraption to hack specific machinery. After a few moments, the printers went back online. "There is a radio tower in the station. I can radio in the zeppelins to get the first shipments of food to everyone." Masami said, as he examined the controls to pick which food is to be created. "My work here is now. Though, I will help in making sure the zeppelins are not harmed." "That's good to know. By the way, I know you're a robot and all, but you want pizza or waffles. I figured I give the people some comfort food, after this happened." Masami said, as the printers started to get to work.

---

"Well, that was awesome!" a kid said, as he was reading the issue with his friends after getting it from a newspaper kiosk. "It's a shame that it's an exclusive one-time issue for Masami. I would have liked to see a backstory." another kid said. "I heard they are going to start the story arc with Sky and Maltron. Seeing how both of them are tragic characters on opposite sides, I'm looking forward to it." another said. "That sounds awesome! You think Masami will return here to the nation? We need his autograph on this piece of literature here!"

[Lisander]

Revinka Garden Hotel
The night before the race

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Andrea Lanza told everyone in the small meeting room. "After tomorrow's race, everyone will be fired. Our LAB license has been withdrawn."

"What do you mean, what happened?" - the members of the crew looked at each other in disbelief. The Team Principal touched the screen of his mobile phone, and on the screen behind him appeared the excerpt from a document:

16. Superia Junior Team, Licensed by the Lisander Autosports Board, is authorized to act as Lisander representative until the day ... of the month of ... this year. In case of not renewing the license in a timely manner, they will be prohibited of disputing international competitions like representatives of Lisander, being liable to judicial punishments.

"Yes, I consider it absurd too. Everyone knows the reason for this change on the date of the license, and the President of LAB acts sullenly so that we bow to his will. Fortunately, our lawyers have obtained a preliminary injunction at the Lisander Sports Superior Court, so that we can continue until the end of this event, which fortunately is the closing of the season. But I assure you: WE WILL NOT RECEIVE HIM IN THE CELEBRATION OF OUR CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE!!! "- the members of Superia Juniors applauded Lanza's words. His later phrase, "... if we win" was barely heard.

"But now that I think a little bit better about it, no one will be left without work, after all. The Bitten Heroes-half here goes to the Olympics, to be the team that will work on the cars of Mor Holstein, Athan Lille, Alyn Terfel and Shizuko Mikado. The Camden-half, including Darius, returns to Sirenia to prepare for the upcoming season of the WGPC. With our license already guaranteed and leased to Camden, we will see each other next year as Camden-BHR. I would like to thank all those who support us and accompany us from the very beginning. Engineers, drivers on and off the track, the Stellenbosch team who were on our side even without being able to display their brand, the advisors. Thanks to all of you. Sabine Valerian is transferring the Christmas Bonus to your personal accounts, and everyone should receive next Monday when the banks are working. I close my brief words here now. I need to go away and make calls again. As you ladies and gentlemen know, an election campaign is not won just boring. And I really want to be the next president of the LAB. Thank you all and see you tomorrow! Darius, you talk next."

More applause. Andrea Lanza was really a popular and beloved man for his years as a driver. At his side, Darius Castellammare got up and spoke.

"Thank you all for this season, my old Camden partners, thank you for another season of hard work, I hope to have you all at WGPC." Thanks, Lanza, Ludi, Athena... And thank you, my partner and boss, Juliano Lemos ... Thank you for welcoming me and leaving all this wonderful team at my disposal ... We're almost there, young man. I forbid you to soften tomorrow. I want your best on that track. You're coming back to your best, I don't want to overtake you easily. The pole is yours, and you need to make eleven points more to win our bet. Let's go in there tomorrow, you and me, and LET'S WIN THE FUCK OUT OF IT!"

Euphoria, applause. The Iceman, at last, knows how to speak, and he knows how to speak profanity. Ludwika Wiel takes two fingers to his mouth and whistles vigorously. Lemos gets up and picks up the microphone.

"Calm down, guys. With this whole commotion, we'll be kicked out of the hotel. Darius, If you win the championship tomorrow, I'll give you the three bikes for the team and one more transporter, okay? Ludi, think of a good livery for the team DC3. If this man brings us the title, give him the most awesome coating a racing motorcycle ever had."- he began his speech in a relaxed manner, before turning back to the words of thanks. -"Ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow we end this journey. Thank you so much for bringing life to my days again. Thank you for this wonderful gift you built with me. Thank you for trusting me and investing your money and your work on this team. In one season we got so many things... And to think that I almost gave up all this... Glad I listened to you, Lanza. That pizza in Yarkovo saved me. Never again will I make a decision with a hot head or with an empty stomach. Well, apparently it served both of us, my president. When you get to the LAB, try not to overload Sabine, after all, she's also my accountant ..."- Lemos smiled at the two directors. - "Bitten Heroes is back, and it will be on WGPC18 when we get everything ready. I thank Stellenbosch for lending us the Superia name, but for next season we will use our real name. For WGP2 III onwards we will already be Junior Bitten Heroes."- The audience applauded Lemos's effort, which had done all he could to bring that team back from the ashes and was succeeding. - "Well, while the next season is not enough, we'll focus on tomorrow. We'll have a great race, and we'll start well in the front rows. Darius, I do not think it's my place to ask you to do this as a boss, after all, whoever pays you is Camden, but tomorrow you must go to the attack immediately. That SVJ driver has to know that you're in his tail. If you can be in second as soon as Turn 3, it will be perfect. Then we'll see what he does for the rest of the race. When the event ends, regardless of the result, a week off for all Bitten Heroes engineers. If nobody else wants to speak, can we end the quibble and go to sleep? Anyone else wants to thanks for something?" - no one raised the voice - "So this is it. Many thanks, and let's go to victory tomorrow! On all fronts!"

The meeting ended with more applause, as is common at these year-end meetings. It seems they just applauded the whole meeting. How funny.

[Vangaziland]

Revinka Garden Hotel
Race Night's Eve

Vannish Motors Racing had rented the ballroom adjacent to another company's end of season event at a local Mattijanan hotel. The company pulled out all the stops. There were catered finger foods and drinks from the local region of Lubenice. It was clear that Mattijana was a place with lots of culture. Everything from soup to bread was fresh and tasty.

The air seemed fragrant. There was a charge to the atmosphere. Everything had wound down to this moment. Now the final checks had been written. It was almost time for each team to cash them out. The ballroom had been decorated with indigo and red curtains. Matching lights added spots of the Vannish colors against the room's white walls.

Jannik Markner had been the first to speak at the event. He would likely speak of what this season meant to him. His early to mid season push helped VMR stay in the battle for Constructors'. The entire Vannish Empire would be watching the next race to see if his season's work fell short or was just enough.

Jess Franssen watched Jannik speak from behind her seat. Jess, Karli and Jannik had been sitting at a table behind the podium. Each one takes time to walk up and give their speech. The entire crowd was captivated by what Jannik had to say. It seemed as if he was a person of few words. There were many fans and journalists that felt like they barely knew Jannik. he hadn't been as public as certain VMR drivers of past and present.

As Jannik finished his speech, he was met with applause. One of Karli's pit crew was the first to give a standing ovation. Others joined in until the entire room stood for Jannik. He had done his part.

Karli was next to speak. Her WGP2 season was similar to Jessica Franssen's WGPC 16. Franssen had what it took to close out the season in a high pressure situation. Jessica was no ordinary driver. It remains to be seen if Karli can close the season out.

"As I stand here and look out at this crowd", Schmitt said. "I can't help but feel as if I have the entire weight of the Empire on my shoulders." She flashed her crisp smile. "It has been a long season. Whether we win or lose is my responsibility. At Vannish Motors, we don't blame the cars. I can't blame a co-driver. If we don't win the Constructors', that is because I didn't do enough."

She adjusted her position and tossed her long, golden hair aside. Her hair is a few shades darker than NSSCRA driver Ellie Lindskog's. Many outsiders would probably see them as similar. Both drivers shared a common ancestor in a medieval fisherman. He was known for being a swift sailor. Schmitt also carried the blood of Germanic migrants of the 1800s however. "A Vannish Motors driver shouldn't just be average. We need to make our own destiny. Our race is against the odds. We fight our hardest to exceed them."

Karli took a quick sigh before speaking of other drivers. "This will become harder and harder as more teams figure out the path to success. We need to continuously push to set the standard. No matter what happens tomorrow, every team can expect VMR to be right back in the Championship hunt for WGPC 17. We will set the pace right from the start of that season. There will be no breaks for those who wish to run against us."

Her facial features had tightened, but she soon warmed. "It is that chase which makes us better drivers and better people. The same can be said for any international driver who also pushes towards this goal. This season has been great. The level of competition is great for the league. I did what I could to be consistent, despite a tough mid-season. Pushing through that put us in the running to win it all. It should be remembered that two races ago, we were facing a deficit. Two solid results later and here we stand."

"This WGP2 season will not make or break Vannish Motors. It sure has been a great ride though. We put on a good show for the fans and the WGPO. There is something every driver in this league should remember. There are so many nations in the world that can't even see their driver race internationally. Every driver in contention is one of a talented few in existence. We are a brotherhood. A sisterhood. We race together."

"So let's hope we get a clean race on a tough track. I'm set to run my best. Thank you VMR. Thank you fans."

Karli's standing ovation was more immediate. The crowd really got behind what she had to say. There was standing applause for quite a few minutes. It was clear that even after a long season, Karli wasn't even tired.

Jess Franssen was next to speak. "All I can say is how proud I am", said Franssen. "I am so proud of my drivers. They've both worked so hard. I'm proud of Vannish Motors. We're here again. That says it all. We set the pace. Again. We set the standard. Other nations have stepped up their effort because of us, and us alone. Our impact on the sport will be felt for the next decade."

Jessica laughed. "This year has been a different one for VMR. We pulled away from traditional driving styles to look at more aggression behind the wheel. The PsyKi technology added an entirely new angle to the squad. It was an amazing project to be a part of."

"It will all come down to one race. I've been in this position before." Jess grinned for a moment as she looked happily across the crowd. "These are the moments that test drivers. Adversity forges strength. It would be nice if VMR got the clear victory we deserve. The truth is that nothing is a given. You could bust your hump every week, putting forth 2-3 times the effort of the pack, just to end up in the same boat. You can even lose it all."

"In those moments, we can be proud of the work that we've put into this. Even if the results don't come, we'll know what we did", said Jess. "This has been a trying season. We've seen drivers from certain teams basically quit. This is a direct result of some of this particular season's challenges. Throughout it all, Vannish Motors was there to fight."

She turned to Karli. "There were times when Karli's season looked like it was over. It was just like my WGPC 16 run. In that situation, you don't get frustrated because of how hard you've worked. You keep pushing. Karli. You got us here. Thank you."

Jessica laughed a little before continuing. "I know you think VMR is worried because you pulled second in GT2. That's a silver we can be proud of. No matter what happens tomorrow, I personally am proud of you and Jannik."

She turned back to the crowd. "That brings us to WGPC 17. I will be back for VMR. I hope my competition has been taking a good rest. They can expect a busy start to the next season. And a busy mid season. There will also likely be a high workload for the final three races. I've been watching. It's been great having this inside look. Every season, the competition gets better. So do we. This is only the start."

There was a fire within Karli and Jessica that was what this team was about. Their season would only be a failure if they quit and mailed in results. Karli faced an uphill battle on Sunday. If anybody had the skills to pull off the upset from out of the top 10, it would be Karli Schmitt.

The crowd stood and roared at the end of Jessica's speech. The noise would spill into the other team's nearby conference.

An announcer took over the microphone. "Alright everyone. Get your food and drinks! Don't be shy. Corporate is paying."

A rumble of laughter shot out into the hall. Nobody out-partied the Vangazi.

[Mattijana]

WGP2: What Next For Motorsport?

MFO SPORT

The view from Revinka castle down onto the promenade, showing turn 1 of the Revinka Street Circuit whilst in public use.

The second season of WGP2, international open-wheel racing's second tier, comes to a close in Revinka on Mattijana's south coast this Sunday. The treacherous nature of the street circuit should provide plenty of thrills and spills, but there is plenty to look forward to beyond the championship climax at the Grand Prix tsa Istrija.

Indeed there is a first for the sport approaching as 'auto racing', the chosen generic name for the sport, will be a demonstration event at the Olympic games, scheduled to take place between the end of the WGP2 season and the start of the 17th WGPC season. Mattijana have already confirmed the provisional participation of WGPC participants Jasmin Kranjska and Alex Dimitrianov, whilst Ekatarina Julic of this year's WGP2 season and the highly talented youngster Dominik Vestergaard will also take part. Whilst drivers will compete as part of official national teams rather than the more commercial entities from the WGPC, it is strongly expected that MRT will have a major role in the design of the car that takes to the grid in the Free Republics. With both drivers and venue for the one-off race known beforehand, the car can be perfectly set up for these variables and with arguably the best technical team on the grid after last year's constructor's championship title, Mattijana will be hopeful of taking a good car along to the party.

The role of auto racing at the Olympics remains up for debate. The need for technology has been accused of favouring drivers from wealthier nations and this is difficult to argue with. Although other summer and winter Olympic sports such as track cycling and bobsled can also be enhanced by technology, the extent to which this happens in motorsport is more extreme than in any other olympic sport. Whether the Olympic Council chooses to have future events contested in equal cars is yet to be decided, but if open wheel racing is to make the step up to medal event, a more level playing field will certainly be required.

That aside, there is plenty of promise. The demonstration race should open up motorsport to a new audience outside of the nations already participating in the WGPC, resulting in increased support for the series and hopefully a new wave of young people inspired to get involved in the many karting competitions across the multiverse. Higher up the scale, the event may also expose previously unheard-of talent with talented drivers from the likes of West Phoencia and Darmen, among others, expected to take part. The WGPC will likely be the next step for these new drivers and next season's grid may be a more competitive place than it ever has been before.

Talking of which, WGPC17 should be a cracker. Another tight season meant that both championships were decided on the final raceday in Audioslavia and with all the heavyweights from that year set to make a return, there will be rivalries a plenty to accompany the hopeful influx of new characters.

Add to that a whole host of young faces from the WGP2 looking to make the step up into the big time. Potential champion Darius Castellmare is one of those already looking set to participate in the 17th edition of the famous competition for Lisander whilst Vannish hotshot Karli Schmitt may also be due a season after several impressive performances for VMR. Janne Laukannen is the latest talent to emerge from Aboveland whilst Jason Masami and Dom Falepeau have also had their moments in more inferior machinery.

What About Mattijana?

After the roaring success of WGPC16, WGPC2 II has been a bit of a dissapointment. MRT's single entry in the form of Dom Falepeau has been seen as more of a sighter season by many whilst Ekatarina Julic has struggled badly in the Brutus-Obey car.

MRT should be looking to regain their fine form in time for the main event whilst the seasoned Alex Dimitrianov and the dynamic Jasmin Kranjska will be back for another season, giving the country much more tried and tested options in the driver department. Kranjska in particular was impressive last season accumulating 57 points in just half a season on her way to 11th in the driver's championship. Dimitrianov also registered his best performance in 4 WGPC seasons with 8th place overall and 61 points.

With renewed hunger for more glory from the likes of WGPC16 winner Jessica Franssen and the talented, but ultimately unlucky Terho Talvela, it won't be easy to top the podium regularly. However with their chances of a good car increasing, they will certainly hope to be up there.

For now however there is one race and one race only to focus on and that happens in the sunny, but possibly slightly thunderstormy city of Revinka.

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

Revinka Street Circuit, Revinka, Mattijana
17th of November; Mid-Qualifying

“Maelstrom-blasted traffic…” Gertrude slams her fist on the table. “And now…”

“It is not ideal,” Timothy Guard pronounces, stoic expression on his face. “Still, we know that we have pace from practice. Besides, we can control our starting tyres, among other things.”

“Staggered one-stop strategy to make use of ICAST relay tactics?”

“That is what makes sense to me. On a track like this, we should limit our stops. That’s how we find ground, not just an ICAST relay.”

“Great; I’ll let the analytics teams know that that’s what they’re looking at first.” Gertrude pushes herself away from the terminal, letting her breath out between her lips in a tired, spluttering sigh. Then she shakes herself and nods more determinedly. “Onward.”

“Onward.”

Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of the Nimbus System
12th of November

The rain lashes at the dolomite rocks of the cliffs of Nimbus Bay, the sky dark with swirling cloud and filled with the rush of wind. The tempest above is not an uncommon event, of course, but it is unfortunate that it struck here and now, for two figures below struggle through the torrent and the marshy ground.

They struggle nonetheless.

“You… You really wanted to bring me up here, huh?” Victoria Light shivers a little, even wrapped up in her waterproof coat. “This really had better be something!”

“We’re just about there, don’t worry.” Ryker shivers more openly, arms hugging his torso, but he grins nonetheless. “And off we go.”

And he jumps off the cliff.

“What are – RYKER!” His companion rushes to the cliff’s edge – to see him looking up, floating a couple of dozen metres above the crashing waves and glowing blue. He’s still grinning. “Imagination, don’t do that to me!” she exclaims, relief and anger showing equally on her face. “Seriously… It’s down there then?”

“Down here,” he calls up in confirmation.

Well, I guess that’s why he asked me to make sure I drank some Imagination… Victoria shakes her head, then jumps herself. She lets the air rush past her for a few moments before focussing, directing Imagination’s power to slow her fall until she stops, apparently directly in front of a natural ledge in the cliff.

Beyond that ledge is an arch carved directly into the rockface.

Slowly, cautiously, Victoria moves forward. She gazes upon the walls, the precisely engraved ridges leading her inward.

The tunnel bends before opening out into a cave. Sheltered from the storm, the thrumming of the rain bounces across the walls, as do the shafts of light filtering in through holes to the outside and playing upon the stone inside. Stalactites hang down from the ceiling; stalagmites rise from the floor. And in the middle of it all is Ryker Lane.

Victoria looks upon it all with some wonder. “I take it this is it?”

“This is it.”

“I… Wow.” Left alone, the analytical side of her mind wanders – and finds something. “This is where you’ve been going before races? I heard that you had your rituals but this is…”

She stops. Then she frowns, a sly smile rising on her face. “You carved your way into this with Imagination, didn’t you? MOE’s going to love that one.”

Ryker steps back, eyebrows raised in worry. “Uh…”

“Relax, I’m teasing. Goodness.” She laughs. “This is wonderful. I’m glad that you found it.” She stops, curious. “So… Why did you want me here?”

“Right, right.” Ryker still looks a little flustered before he shakes his head. “I, ah…”

He sighs. “I got to thinking about last week. The way that that woman was talking… She sounded like she really believed what she was saying. I’m not a psychologist but, well, if I had to guess, I’d say that she had far too much time on her own to think. She justified herself because she trusted her own view of the world far, far too much.”

Ryker looks at Victoria, a vulnerable, open expression on his face. “I don’t want to fall into that trap. But I also can’t take my strength from everyone else. So… I need to rely on myself but I also need to rely on other people. Ideally all the time, with everything.” He lets out a laugh.

Victoria looks back. “So…”

“So I don’t want this just to be mine anymore. I thought that… I thought that it would be a good place to start.”

“And… And you chose me for that.”

“Yep.”

The two stand apart.

Then she moves forward and hugs him.

…

“So…” Ryker continues, “I was thinking I might bring some photos and things down here. You know, remind me of –”

Victoria bursts out laughing and hugs him more tightly.

Revinka Street Circuit, Revinka, Mattijana
18th of November; Pre-Race

Timothy Guard stands before Nexus Racing.

“I’ve done this a few times now. Every time, I’ve said that there’s a compulsion for us to perform, something for us to prove. Our actions make a point.”

“That made sense then. It will make sense in the next first-tier season. It does not make sense now.”

“We have weathered a storm over these last months. That tumult has finally passed but it has no doubt beaten at us, weighed upon us in its passing, and the record shows that. We might but likely will not overcome it now.”

“Nonetheless, our motion has been slowed but it has not stalled. That is our victory. We continue onward. Our momentum is undeniable and irrevocable – and now that the tumult has ceased, we may spring forward with all of our former swiftness and power allied with the new ideas and new approaches that we are known for!”

“The record is burdened, perhaps, but I implore you: do not be yourselves! We have nothing to prove and everything to show! We have emerged from the tempest a moment too late to manifest a triumph but that need not mean that we cannot shine with glory! Let us do so now!”

And Nexus Racing stand with him.

[Mattijana]

That's a wrap. Cut off for the season-ending Grand Prix tsa Istrija.

[Mattijana]

Week 12: Race

Conditions:      	Dry	
Laps:              	32	
Nation:         	MTJ	
Circuit:        	Revinka Street Circuit	
Virtual Safety Car		
Deployed on Laps:		
Cars on Grid:	23	
	

Start	First Quarter	Halfway	Third Quarter	POS DRV Name                     Team	Time
 1 LEM	 1 PEG +0	 1 LEM +0	 1 LEM +0	  1 BAK Edward Baker                VTM Tropicorp Engineering   	01:19:50.359
 2 PEG	 2 LEM +11.149	 2 CAS +15.131	 2 CAS +12.476	  2 CAS Darius Castellammare        Superia Junior Team         	00:01:07.250
 3 CAS	 3 JUL +26.435	 3 PEG +22.042	 3 FAN +49.303	  3 SCH Karli Schmitt               Vannish Motors Racing       	00:01:42.282
 4 FAN	 4 CAS +27.591	 4 FAN +39.511	 4 DAR +60.722	  4 LEM Juliano Lemos               Superia Junior Team         	00:01:54.136
 5 FAL	 5 MAR +28.169	 5 C23 +43.362	 5 SCH +61.683	  5 FAL Dom Falepeau                MRT2                        	00:01:56.519
 6 JUL	 6 FAL +32.279	 6 JUL +43.871	 6 FAL +62.269	  6 PEG Jama'obo Pegasii            SVJ Racing                  	00:02:04.095
 7 HIN	 7 FAN +34.503	 7 IMO +49.891	 7 PEG +64.447	  7 FAN Isaia Fanene                Kaylan Racing               	00:02:11.992
 8 MAR	 8 LAU +44.982	 8 SCH +56.487	 8 JUL +70.916	  8 TJK Timo Jänkirinää             Omni-Katoa Racing           	00:02:18.850
 9 DEF	 9 DEF +45.007	 9 FAL +57.281	 9 DEF +75.476	  9 PRE Max Prefodski               Kaylan Racing               	00:02:26.416
10 C23	10 BAK +45.844	10 MAR +58.415	10 PRE +84.85	 10 MAR Jannik Markner              Vannish Motors Racing       	Laps Down: 1
11 TAB	11 C23 +57.098	11 LAU +62.396	11 TAB +91.695	 11 DAR Rebecca Darlington          Nexus Racing                	Laps Down: 1
12 SCH	12 TAB +58.989	12 DAR +62.421	12 BAK +92.927	 12 JUL Ekatarina Julic             Brutus Obey Sport GP        	Laps Down: 1
13 BAK	13 SCH +59.763	13 DEF +65.722	13 MAR +97.871	 13 TAB Tyra Tabuso                 Ibuna-Gambal Racing         	Laps Down: 1
14 LAU	14 DHL +79.738	14 BAK +68.838	14 TJK +98.073	 14 DEF Erik DeForest               Pompeii Motorsports         	Laps Down: 1
15 DHL	15 JSM +84.482	15 HIN +75.79	15 HIN +98.813	 15 HIN Chiemi Hino                 Ibuna-Gambal Racing         	Laps Down: 1
16 TJK	16 HIN +89.302	16 TAB +76.107	16 IMO +99.366	 16 LAU Janne Laukkanen             Nexus Racing                	Laps Down: 1
17 JSM	17 DAR +92.133	17 TJK +80.16	17 LAU +121.946	 17 JSM Jason Masami                Brutus Obey Sport GP        	Laps Down: 1
18 ARJ	18 TJK +96.467	18 JSM +88.737	18 JSM +124.866	 18 LYN Laurencia Lynds             SinVal                      	Laps Down: 1
19 DAR	19 IMO +99.251	19 PRE +93.515	19 LYN +Laps: 1	 19 DHL Dahlia Dahl                 Pompeii Motorsports         	Laps Down: 1
20 PRE	20 ARJ +121.981	20 ARJ +99.327	20 DHL +Laps: 1	DNF IMO Ade Imoju                   Omni-Katoa Racing           	Ret. lap 32
21 IMO	21 LYN +123.695	21 DHL +102.758	21 MIG +Laps: 1	DNF C23 Cocoabo #23                 VTM Tropicorp Engineering   	Ret. lap 21
22 MIG	22 PRE +126.237	22 LYN +119.683	22  +Laps: 3	DNF MIG Miguel Santos               EVolution Racing            	Ret. lap 28
23 LYN	23 MIG +134.695	23 MIG +Laps: 1	23  +Laps: 4	DNF ARJ Roman Arjenko               SVJ Racing                  	Ret. lap 23

Driver's Championship Podium
1: Karli Schmitt 104
2: Darius Castellmare 87
3: Janne Laukkanen 72


Constructor's Championship Podium
1: Vannish Motors Racing 144
2: VTM Tropicorp Engineering 137
3: Superia Junior Team 130

[Aboveland]

Tuesday
Iskajärvi, Aboveland

Janne turns the key to his flat. The door sways open, letting out the dry, stuffy air from inside after a week of sitting still. Through a clogging sob, he tries to take a deep breath of the smell of home, but it only makes it as far as his only free-breathing nostril, the congestion from the airplane and the bare cold winter outside interrupting his attempts at tranquilizing himself. He sobs again. Feeling the cold concrete wall to his right in the pitch black, he turns on the lights and, defeated, chucks his bags on his bed, jumping face first into his pillows.

For a moment, Janne reminisces about the WGP2 season as a whole. A wave of sensory details begin to re-emerge: the bitter, neck-spasm-inducing taste of his first champagne; the cramps in his legs after the races; the blue gleam of the Chase Cutter, who he'd still not even named; the smell of the sticky rubber melting onto the asphalt on the days the races were hot and humid; the cold, but direct and informative radio messages Edvin so constantly transmitted; the successes, trials and tribulations of the year, all culminating in a miserable, snotty sob onto his bedspread.

With a third place in the championship, he was guaranteed not to have a place in the WGPC for next year, the Abovian bigwigs wanting only one Abovian driver at a time, who of course had to be the only Abovian champion, and his often absent mentor, Terho. He feared, perhaps, that Nexus would be dissatisfied with his total collapse in the final race of the year, how he'd let himself and the team down and taken away their ambitions of a title. No, it wasn't a fear perhaps, it was a certain reality. His career had flunked. He'd flunked. He sucked. He was a failure.

Another wetter sob.

As he closes his eyes his mind casually drifts away into unconsciousness, his dreams and nightmares knocking at the door to take the center stage. In his state of idle restlessness, Janne makes out a face amidst the penumbra of his materializing dreams. Some blond hair, long enough to drape over the eyes; one, unobscured eye, hazel and attentive; a rounded, perfectly sculpted nose; a-

A doorbell. A jolt. A squeak of his bed's springs.

Janne begrudgingly clambers to his feet, rubbing his eyes' pools of tears onto the sleeves of his sweater. He doesn't even bother to pat his hair down, and opens the door with a lousy, apathetic swing.

The face. Janne smiles. To his surprise, he's holding a Nexus cap. He was missing his Nexus cap. And to his greater surprise, he has a Mattijanan Grand Prix wristband on one of the hands that hold the cap.

"You forgot this on the plane," he says in that sweet, tender, shy voice he says things with.

Janne looks into his eyes, blinking hard once to clear the new pool of happy tears that have formed on his eyelashes. He smiles. Anders smiles back, and stretches out the hand with the cap.

Janne leans in to take it back, but continues to move forward. As strong and dominant Anders looked, it seemed he got cold feet at the most decisive times.

Their faces closer, they stare into each other's eyes for a brief moment, their breaths in unison. Janne glances toward either side of the hallway, checking for prying eyes, and pulls Anders into his flat, slamming the door with his toes as he hurries away from the entryway.

It was about time he kissed a guy.

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

19th of November

As Nexus Racing’s two drivers return home, a letter is delivered to each of their homes.

To both of you,

A year ago, we began the Nexus Racing WGP2 programme with two goals in mind. Firstly, we wanted to train the next generation of promising drivers, giving them the time needed to learn the idiosyncrasies of the Chase Cutter and of our team. Secondly, we gained the opportunity to prove developments in a competitive environment.

I write to thank you, for both have been near-unconditional successes.

We approach WGPC 17 with the most advanced Ultra High Speed Ground Vehicle in our history. There is the usual complement of improvements, of course, but ICAST is nothing short of revolutionary. You have both tested Nexus Racing’s most powerful upgrade ever and demonstrated its usefulness beyond any doubt. You cannot be thanked enough for your dedication and teamwork in doing so.

Perhaps even more importantly, you are both far better drivers than you were at WGP2 2’s beginning. Rebecca, not only are your achievements numerically superior to last seasons but your achievements are the result of determined consistency. Janne, you have exceeded all expectations in what is only your first season of competitive racing. Continue and you will both be implacable; that I know.

If you’ll have us, I look forward immensely to our next season with you both.

Ever onward!

Timothy Guard, Project Manager for Nexus Racing

Perhaps they find them immediately. Perhaps not. But they will.

[Lisander]

The night after the race
A plane, above the ocean between Mattijana and Lisander.

They were not sad.

Ok, I'm lying. In fact, they were a little. The feeling of losing victory in Mattijana was choking on Juliano Lemos's throat. Similarly, Darius Castellammare felt a bit sad with second place in the championship. The title had been so close...

The fiancée of one and the girlfriend of the other slept in the seats that separated the two, in that chartered plane. Sabine Valerian and Andrea Lanza also were sleeping in two rows of chairs on opposite sides of the executive class. The other team members were in the standard class. The two drivers were talking.

"Do you want a whiskey? The stewardess must have some at her disposal."

"Could be, boss."

A tap on the button and the stewardess appeared:

"Miss ..." Lemos read her name on the small metal plate attached to her dress. "... Lyla. Could you please get us two whiskeys, please?"- He looked tired, but he was not sleepy, so he wanted to drink and fall asleep.

"Sorry, sir. Our company does not have alcoholic beverages for charter flights unless they are requested before boarding."

"Err ... All right then, what can you suggest at this hour of the night? Something to warm us up, preferably."

"My suggestion is the creamy chicken soup with bacon, croutons and vegetables. It's not a drink, but it's hot and will keep you satisfied until the end of the trip, in three hours and a half, sir."

"Could it be, Darius?"

"For me, yes ... bring two, please."

"Very well, sir, in a few minutes they will be ready."

Soon, the women have gone, leaving behind a silly conversation:

"Soup? Does it make sense?"

"Champagne is for the winners, we did not get it ... I wanted a whiskey to see if I slept for a bit, but I do not refuse a good mug of soup at the end of a tiring day, it feels warm, like it's warm."

"The more I discover things about you, the more I am surprised, Lemos. Do you deal with a third of the national motorsport and after a season like that, do you still have the courage to discuss soup?"

"Actually, I'm learning from you. I'm getting the hang of it from being resilient. From keeping me calm."

In a few moments, the stewardess came back, bringing the soup mugs. The men picked it up.

"Let's toast?"

"Are you serious? A toast with soup?"

"And why not? Is there any rule about toasting other than drinking in honor of something?"

"No. But in honor of what will we toast?"

"To a season of resurgence. For both of us."

The mugs touched, and after that, the soup was taken in silence. From now on, each had their own plans for the future.

- Fin -